Prayer in numbers

“When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for the execution, Daniel wisely took him aside and quietly asked what was going on: “Why this all of a sudden?” After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream. Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldn’t be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men.” (Daniel 2:14-18, MSG)

This week since I have been home, I have been reading through the book of Daniel, it was next to read on my list of old testament books i have been studying this year, but it also came at a perfect time. I am currently reading the book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson, and both that book and the book of Daniel deal with the issue of fear and finding courage in the Lord. Outside of the usual “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” story, I didn’t know about the character of Daniel. Daniel, I have learned, was a young man with a bright future to rule in Israel. He came from a prominent family and was highly intelligent. But God had other plans for him. When the Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem they took Daniel and other men like him to serve the King in Babylon. Despite these poor circumstances and highly secular Babylonian society, Daniel stayed faithful in the Lord, and through his faith, God gave him more wisdom, more discernment and more courage to stand up for this faith. Because of Daniel’s faithfulness, even the King of Babylon confessed God as the one and only true God, despite his prior belief in a number of pagan gods.

One thing that stuck out to me in Daniel chapter 2 is the way in which Daniel approaches tough situations. I think it is a model for all of us. Before taking rash action, getting angry, or running away, Daniel prays. Not just by himself but also corporately. In this situation, the King of Babylon had ordered Daniel along with all other wise men in the country to be killed. Daniel could have easily ran from the situation, fled the country or gone into hiding. He also could have saved only himself, leaving others to perish, or he could have accepted this fate given to him. But instead Daniel stood up to the King and asked for more time. Then he immediately went home to pray, he told his three closest friends, also believers in God, about the situation and asked them to pray with him. And it worked! God gave Daniel the wisdom he needed to save everyone from the King’s harsh decree.

I think that so many times we jump into situations or try to fight battles we aren’t ready for. We hastily made decisions based on what we want or what feels right without seeking God. God is the only one who knows what to do ever. He will reveal the mysteries still unknown to us. Why are we trying to work around Him or without Him? Whenever we come face to face with a difficult situation we need to seek God first and also share our trials with other believers who can encourage us and lift us up in prayer as well. There is power when we agree together in prayer.